How to check on elderly parents in Romania when you live abroad

For Romanians and Moldovans abroad with a parent at home: a daily WhatsApp check-in in Romanian, 112, a local circle and the family doctor.

By the Athnova Care team · Updated 2026-10-13

Why families abroad worry about parents in Romania

Millions of Romanians — and many Moldovans — live and work abroad, in Italy, Spain, Germany, the UK and France. Their parents often stay behind in towns and villages, sometimes alone, and see their children at Easter and in the summer.

A short daily check-in tells you your parent is up and well, and makes sure someone acts on the day they do not answer.

A daily check-in in Romanian, on WhatsApp

Every morning, at the time you choose on their clock, your parent gets one WhatsApp message in Romanian: did they take their morning medicines? They tap a button — "yes", "not yet" or "please call me" — and you see the answer in the family app.

Nothing to install and no password: the message arrives on the WhatsApp they already use, from a contact called Athnova Care. They can also send a photo of a blood-pressure reading, a prescription or a report at any time.

If the morning message is not answered, a reminder follows about three hours later. Our follow-up phone call does not reach Romania yet, so if the reminder also goes unanswered you are alerted straight away, and then the neighbour or relative you chose is asked to check.

Emergency numbers in Romania

Save these in your own phone and in your parent's, and on the fridge. Messages from Athnova Care quote this number when your parent says they are unwell, and so does their emergency card.

Number	What it is for
112	All emergencies — ambulance and SMURD, police, fire

We are not an emergency service. In an emergency, your parent or the person with them should call the local number first.

Build a local circle before you need it

Agree a circle of two or three people near the house: a neighbour, a relative in the village, the priest or someone from the church who knows your parent. Save their numbers in the app so they are asked to look in if your parent goes quiet.

Write the address the way an ambulance crew needs it — village or street, number, block and flat — and put it on the emergency card.

Doctors, hospitals and medicines

The family doctor (medic de familie) is the first point of contact under the national health insurance; write the doctor’s name and number on the emergency card, and check that your parent’s health insurance is up to date.

Put the nearest hospital with an emergency department (UPU) on the card too.

The time difference

Romania is on Eastern European Time (UTC+2), and on summer time (UTC+3) from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. It is one hour ahead of Italy, Spain and Germany, and two hours ahead of the UK.

What Athnova Care does and does not do in Romania

Daily WhatsApp check-in in Romanian or English, with the reply in your app.
An alert to you when they go quiet (the follow-up phone call does not reach Romania yet).
Alerts to the whole family, then to the neighbour or relative you chose.
An emergency card with their address, medicines, allergies, doctor and contacts, ready to share with a hospital.
Medicine reminders, readings and reports kept in one place for the doctor.
Not offered there: lab tests and medicine refills, which we arrange in India only.

Questions families ask

Is the check-in in Romanian?

Yes. The daily message, its buttons and the reminder are in Romanian, written with "dumneavoastră". Replies typed in Romanian are understood, with or without diacritics.

What is the emergency number in Romania?

112, for ambulance (including SMURD), police and fire. It is also the emergency number in Moldova.

My parent lives in Moldova. Does it work there?

Yes. The check-in works wherever your parent uses WhatsApp, and for a parent in Moldova the messages quote 112 too.

Is there a phone call if they do not reply?

The follow-up call does not reach Romania yet, so if the message and the reminder go unanswered we alert you and your local circle straight away.

Athnova Care tracks and coordinates care. It does not diagnose, prescribe or replace a doctor. In a medical emergency in Romania call 112.